How time flies! It’s almost two years ago that I visited Hoi An, the rather touristy but oh so charming town on the Vietnamese central coast. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a wonderful mix of architecture reflecting indigenous and foreign influences over the centuries.

But now when I think back it isn’t the architecture that I remember most, it’s the evenings that stand out, colourful evenings where thousands of lanterns gave a warm light, turning an evening stroll into a fairy-tale like experience (in spite of the crowds).

Down by the river little boats are waiting to bring tourists out on the water, each boat sporting a lantern, of course. All buildings along the water seem to be lit up, the river becoming a mirror showing all the colours of the rainbow.

A few blocks away from the old town it’s just an ordinary evening. Some friends are enjoying karaoke outside a supermarket.

A boy is happily jumping down the alley.

A man is having a last smoke on the front steps.

It’s time to go to bed. Good night!